Stop breeding mosquitoes! - Tufton

Minister of Health Dr Christopher Tufton is appealing to persons who store water to ensure that they are not breeding mosquitoes. Householders in particular are being urged to search their homes and premises for potential mosquito breeding sites, given the recent rainfall.

The minister maintains that the majority of breeding sites for the Aedes aegypti mosquito which spreads the dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses, are found in and around homes.

"This is an issue that requires householders in particular to take responsibility. You must check your surroundings at least once per week for mosquito-breeding sites. When it rains as it has recently, the mosquito population tends to increase because of the stagnant water which provides the conditions for them to breed," he said.

BREEDING SITES

He is therefore urging individuals to get rid of mosquito-breeding sites by looking for anything in which water can settle and either cover it, keep the area dry, clean it regularly, fill it with soil or sand, punch holes into it and recycle or properly dispose of it.

Water drums have been identified as some of the main breeding sites for the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in homes. The appropriate cover for these is a mesh cover with elastic bands around the perimeter to hold it securely to the containers. The holes in the mesh used should be small enough so that mosquitoes cannot enter.